Teaching Activities for: ‘How to Prevent Gun Deaths? Where Experts and the Public Agree’

Closely and carefully examine the matrix pictured, or a larger version here, that shows the results of a survey asking social scientists, lawyers and public health officials, as well as a representative sample of the American electorate, how effective each of 29 policies would be in reducing firearm homicide deaths, regardless of political feasibility or cost.

What do you notice about the upper-right corner of the matrix? Where on the matrix can you find the policies deemed both effective and popular, and what specific policies fall there? Which policies are much less effective and less popular with both the experts and the public?

1. What popular measures in the survey were supported by more than 85 percent of registered voters, according to the article? What least popular idea was still favored by nearly 50 percent?

2. What did Daniel Webster, a professor and director of the Johns Hopkins center for gun policy and research, say about the controversial topic of guns and the surprise result from the polls conducted?

3. What does President Trump support in terms of gun rights, according to the article? What do the matrix and polling results show about the concealed carry bill as an idea for reducing gun homicides? Is it effective? Popular?

4. How does the article’s matrix on mass shootings compare with the matrix on firearm homicide deaths, above?

5. What measures are supported by academics opposed to gun control?

6. What measures are supported by law enforcement professionals?

7. What strategies for increased safety were not included in the survey, according to the article?

8. Study the list at the end of the article that gives a ranking for effectiveness and a percentage of public support for each suggested policy. What can you determine about the relationship between effectiveness of a suggested policy and its percentage of public support? Why did you answer the way you did?

Finally, tell us more about what you think:

Do you agree with any of the measures in the article that are proposed to prevent gun deaths in the United States? If so, which ones, and why?

Do you have any ideas of your own that you think might work to prevent gun deaths, either in general or specifically; for example, with mass shootings, gang-related homicides or other types of gun deaths? If so, what are your ideas, and why do you think they might work?